DENVER \u2014 Teachers are often known for wearing many hats, and that is no different at Denver East High School.<\/p>\n
By day, Andrew Wimbs teaches physical education. On weekends, he’s officiating college football games during one of the busiest stretches of the season.<\/p>\n
With the NFL playoffs underway, football is top of mind for many fans. While most attention stays on the players, Wimbs says there is another team on the field that often goes unnoticed: the officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople wearing the stripes,\u201d Wimbs said. \u201cThat\u2019s the third team on the field.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wimbs\u2019 path into officiating was not carefully planned. It began almost by accident during a high school championship game he attended with his father.<\/p>\n
\u201cDenver South was playing Monarch, and the High School Football Association had a tent,\u201d Wimbs said. \u201cSomeone called me over and asked me about football officiating. I wrote my name down, and they called me a few months later. I went to the first class and just fell in love with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
That love has carried Wimbs to the college level, including a recent assignment officiating the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a lot of fun,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing inside SoFi Stadium was amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, officiating comes with constant scrutiny and other challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like the physical challenge as well as the mental challenge,\u201d Wimbs said. \u201cWe are actually our worst critics.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked if more officials are needed, Wimbs didn’t hesitate.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n